NAME

     rm - remove files or directories

SYNOPSIS

     rm [options] file...

     POSIX options:  [-fiRr]

     GNU options (shortest form):  [-dfirvR] [--help] [--version]
     [--]

DESCRIPTION

     rm removes each given file.  By default, it does not  remove
     directories.   But  when  the  -r or -R option is given, the
     entire directory  tree  below  the  specified  directory  is
     removed (and there are no limitations on the depth of direc-
     tory trees that can be removed by `rm -r').  It is an  error
     when  the last path component of file is either . or ..  (so
     as to avoid unpleasant surprises with `rm -r .*' or so).

     If the -i option is given, or if a file is unwritable, stan-
     dard input is a terminal, and the -f option is not given, rm
     prompts the user for whether to remove the file,  writing  a
     question to stderr and reading an answer from stdin.  If the
     response is not affirmative, the file is skipped.

POSIX OPTIONS

     -f   Do not prompt for confirmation. Do not write diagnostic
          messages.  Do not produce an error return status if the
          only errors were nonexisting files.

     -i   Prompt for confirmation.  (In case both -f and  -i  are
          given, the last one given takes effect.)

     -r or -R
          Recursively remove directory trees.

SVID DETAILS

     The System V Interface Definition  forbids  removal  of  the
     last  link  to  an executable binary file that is being exe-
     cuted.

GNU DETAILS

     The GNU implementation (in fileutils-3.16) is broken in  the
     sense  that  there is an upper limit to the depth of hierar-
     chies that can be removed. (If necessary,  a  utility  `del-
     tree' can be used to remove very deep trees.)

GNU OPTIONS

     -d, --directory
          Remove directories with unlink(2) instead of  rmdir(2),
          and don't require a directory to be empty before trying
          to unlink it.   Only  works  if  you  have  appropriate
          privileges.   Because  unlinking a directory causes any
          files in the deleted directory to become  unreferenced,
          it is wise to fsck(8) the filesystem after doing this.

     -f, --force
          Ignore nonexistent files and never prompt the user.

     -i, --interactive
          Prompt whether to remove each  file.  If  the  response
          does not begin with `y' or `Y', the file is skipped.

     -r, -R, --recursive
          Remove the contents of directories recursively.

     -v, --verbose
          Print the name of each file before removing it.

GNU STANDARD OPTIONS

     --help
          Print a usage message on standard output and exit  suc-
          cessfully.

     --version
          Print version information on standard output, then exit
          successfully.

     --   Terminate option list.

ENVIRONMENT

     The  variables  LANG,  LC_ALL,  LC_COLLATE,   LC_CTYPE   and
     LC_MESSAGES have the usual meaning.

CONFORMING TO

     POSIX 1003.2, except for the limitation  on  file  hierarchy
     depth.

NOTES

     This page describes rm as found in the fileutils-3.16  pack-
     age;  other  versions  may differ slightly. Mail corrections
     and additions to  aeb@cwi.nl  and  aw@mail1.bet1.puv.fi  and
     ragnar@lightside.ddns.org  .   Report bugs in the program to
     fileutils-bugs@gnu.ai.mit.edu.